


To The Northern Lights

by Rinoa11



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ballroom Dancing, Brainwashing, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Daichi wears leather trousers a lot, F/F, Grand Balls, Kidnapping, M/M, Magic, Thieves Guild, Trolls, swashbuckling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 22:26:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7407547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinoa11/pseuds/Rinoa11
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Daichi was born, the seer of his tribe, his great grandmother told his parents of his fate and fortune. When he came of age he would leave everything he had ever known behind and go on a quest unlike any that had been seen before. It would be a dangerous and deadly quest with a low chance of his survival. </p><p>Daichi lost his friend Suga, the crown prince of Karasuno, to an ambush in the forest eight years ago. Now older and wiser he has returned to Karasuno, a land split by a fight for the throne,  to be given new hope and a task that will change not only his fate but the fate of others around him. A melody on the North Wind will lead the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The forest air seemed to sparkle in the warmth of the summer. In this part of the world, the northern lands near the mountains such a warm day was something to be treasured. Daichi and his family had spent hours travelling from the south grasslands with their caravans across the rough terrain of the dirt roads. He sat atop of the wooden roof of one of the caravans, legs swinging idly as he popped berries his mother had collected in the morning into his mouth, one by one, his teeth piercing the skin to release a burst of sweetness.

As he gazed upon the scenery he could see and recognize the different plants and flowers his mother and father had taught him about. “The forests will be your treasure trove Daichi, you just have to know what you are looking for.” Were the words they repeated to him over and over again as he was taught what could be food and what could be poison. What would be useful to create thread and fabric for clothes and shelter. It was something he had always considered, even at the young age of seven years old. When he was older he would be a grand thief and assassin for hire. He would be a craftsman and entertainer, he would shapeshift into whatever was needed for. Like his parents, and his grandparents before him, spanning back generations into his blood and his DNA he would be a traveller, never settling down in one place for too long.

When he was born, the seer of his tribe, his great grandmother told his parents of his fate and fortune. When he came of age he would leave everything he had ever known behind and go on a quest unlike any that had been seen before. It would be a dangerous and deadly quest with a low chance of his survival. So in order to combat this, his parents set out to do everything they could to teach Daichi of everything they could to prepare him for the day where his fate would begin to turn, written in the fabric of the universe.

Today would be the day that Daichi would begin to regret his travelling roots. Today would be the day that he would meet the one who his life would revolve around, someone who would provide him great adventures and great times along with untold sadness.

But it did not mean that he could not challenge his fate. His father told him that with understanding and knowledge came the ability to see things with a new perspective. He must never stop fighting for his cause nor give up his heart over to despair.

From the top of his caravan he saw a pale glimmer deep in the forests, closer towards the white towers of the castle. He jumped off the top of the moving cart and ran off bare feet into the foliage, confidently and surely just like his father did when he was hunting for food. His mother and father called out to him but Daichi was transfixed by the glimmer, running closer and closer until the pale shape came into focus.

It was a boy, about his age, maybe a little younger? Daichi couldn’t tell he looked so small and soft in comparison to Daichi’s lean frame. He was sitting on a rock near the castle walls, feeding a white stag. By all rights the stag should have gored him or trampled him but he sat calmly with a smile humming as he fed the stag from the palm of his tiny hand, the other hand gently patting the top of the grand beast’s head. Impossible. It should be impossible like a magical spell but when Daichi stepped forward to see even better, to confirm the impossible, the stag stood up, turning its head to view Daichi before turning in the other direction to run the other way, deep into the forests.

The silver boy stood and pouted at the departure of the stag before his gaze caught Daichi’s. He yelped as he leapt back in surprise, eyes widening to a hilarious degree, mouth opening terribly wide, stumbling on his feet and falling on his bottom. Daichi couldn’t help but laugh at the small boy dressed in fine clothing.

“What are you laughing at? That’s not very nice!” the silver boy said, standing again, brushing his backside before rubbing it gingerly to ease the pain. “Owwww!”

Daichi tried to stifle his giggles behind his hands but another peal of laughter burst forth, tears flowing from his eyes. It was silly, it was cute and to his relief the boy joined in with his laughter. “I-I’m sorry!” Daichi cried “It’s just so funny! Your face! You should have seen your face!” He mimicked the shocked expression on the boy’s face causing the boy to laugh even more.

When the giggles had settled and the stray tears had been wiped from their eyes they settled down together on the soft forest floor, not caring about the leafmess and the bugs that littered the floor.

“Who are you?” The boy asked Daichi, head tilting to the side causing the fluffy locks of silver hair to bounce gently.

Daichi smiled wide, missing a few teeth from his growth, pointing proudly towards his chest. “I’m Daichi! Who are you n why are you feeding big stags like that? You’re gonna get hurt if you’re not careful!”

“I’m Suga. Don’t worry, I’m not scared of him! He’s my friend!” Suga declared proudly, his tiny chest puffing out as he grinned widely before reaching his hand out for Daichi to grab. Daichi took it enthusiastically and shook Suga’s hand up and down in a wide arc with an even wider grin. “It’s nice to meet you Daichi! Where did you come from?” he asked opening up the conversation to a game of twenty questions that went late into the afternoon until the sun had passed the highest point in the sky and begun to tumble slowly downwards towards the horizon.

Daichi found out that day that Suga was the crown prince of the kingdom they were visiting. “I’m not supposed to be out here… Mother would tell me off so much if she knew but I just like playing out here more than in the castle. There’s so many more flowers and bugs and trees to climb!”

Daichi nodded in complete understanding, respect for Suga beginning deep in his chest who despite being dressed so pretty and with a look so elegant, forming. He much preferred to run wild through the forests like Daichi did.

The next few weeks settled in the forests of this kingdom gave Daichi plenty of time to learn even more about Suga. That his parents were kind rulers and that he was expected to be in certain lessons and certain places at certain times. Yet as Daichi learned Suga’s timetable off by heart, slowly but surely, their routines began to intertwine with one another. Daichi taught Suga more about the plants and the animals of the forest he lived near, passing down the knowledge of his people eagerly while his parents spent time in the kingdom walls working and taking on commissions in crafts. There was no thieving nor thuggery to be done in this peaceful land.

Suga in turn managed to calm Daichi’s wild and rowdy behaviour with books that he would bring out, teaching Daichi how to read and write when they were not running through the forests causing mischief. A symbiotic relationship that fostered a deep trust between them. Daichi’s mother would often catch them napping together in the sunny glades, cuddled up together like small animals. It would almost break her heart to wake them and send Suga back home before dark, but they belonged to different worlds and Suga had to return to the rich luxurious life he was bestowed by the gods.

But as with Daichi’s way of life his time with Suga was short but it left a permanent impact on their lives. He remembered the day that he left, Suga had managed to tempt the white stag to meet Daichi, a beast who should not be so far south in the forests, instead a native of the snowy wastes of the far north. There was a wild, old magic deep within the beast’s eyes, which he would find himself revisiting time and time again in the dark of the night when he could not sleep. Daichi got to stroke the beast’s snout so carefully with Suga whispering words of encouragement and endearment towards the animal in a tongue that Daichi couldn’t understand. He never did get to ask Suga about it because when he was done and the Stag had left the pair of them sitting close, knees touching and hands clasped together Daichi’s mother had come to collect him for their journey back south.

A grand fuss was kicked up and Daichi’s mother looked almost reluctant to peel the two children away from one another once more but the time had come and the road had to be travelled before the weather got too bad for them to leave.

This did not mean that this was the last time the pair would see one another. Daichi came back each year a little taller with new knowledge and new skills under his belt. His father had begun to take him out on hunts and send him out to do missions which involved a small body to fit into small spaces and collect information. He would come back each summer and tell Suga of the autumns and winters that he would spend learning the ways of sleight of hand, becoming a master thief and an excellent swordsman just like his father.

“I’m jealous” Suga said one day a few years later, laying back in the grass. He was twelve years old and beginning to lose some puppy fat and gain thick thighs from the hours he spent riding with his father, cousins and his uncle in their royal hunts. “You get to travel the world and go on these adventures and I’m stuck in this kingdom with only a forest to escape to.”

Daichi turned to face him, cheek pressed against Suga’s thigh, reaching up to poke his chin. “But you get to stay in one place, you get to have friends that you don’t have to leave. I’m jealous of you.”

Suga took Daichi’s hand and grasped it tightly in his own. There had been so many changes over these years. More responsibility, Suga was no longer allowed to hide in classrooms and libraries to not see the politics that was burning beneath the surface. His mother had died last winter at the height of the snowstorms. There were whisperings that troll magic was to blame but Suga knew better. Suga knew his mother had only gotten sick, it was no one’s fault really but it did mean that more responsibility. It didn’t stop the hurt from spreading in his chest nor stop the tears from falling. It didn’t stop him from wishing that Daichi could be next to him, a thief in the night to steal all of his sorrow away. He couldn’t bear to tell Daichi about the news of his mother the next summer but Daichi already knew. He seemed to know everything, accepting Suga into his arm for a tight embrace while Suga cried loudly into his chest until he could cry no more, fortifying him while he felt weak a mere few hours ago.

They rested together in the sunlight, calm and wistful, eyes set on the future. They were a pair of bodies tangled together in the sunny glades, watching the birds hop from branch to branch in the trees above them. Hands clasped tightly, noses nuzzling shoulders affectionately. Gentle innocent kisses on the cheek were traded out between the pair of them like they were free and easy. But their naïve bliss was not to last, again the wheels of fate began to turn and with it Daichi would lose the last vestiges of innocence that he held onto so tightly with his small hands.

 The end of summer quickly approached, as it always did, as it always would. The cold air coming down from the north biting their bared skin. Daichi’s caravan was late to set off, his great grandmother refused to let the convoy move. Daichi didn’t understand why although he was happy to be spending a little more time with Suga, watching him bundle up into warmer, thicker clothing with furs and embroidery coating the hems. Daichi saw less of Suga as he was kept inside by his worried father.

The day that everything changed, the white stag, the magical beast from the north let out a sharp scream. Daichi was inside the caravan with his great grandmother at the time, sewing up his boots for the upcoming trip. They would be leaving soon but then he heard the scream and his grandmother looked at him knowing. Old and ancient with wisdom in her eyes, she pushed him out the door. This was what his fate would be.

Daichi ran through the forest, cold air burning his lungs, the first snowfall beginning to fall from the sky as he ran towards the sound. What he saw made him stand still. Suga was there, clinging to the large beast protectively, utterly cornered while dark cloaked figures surrounded them. Daichi dropped his stance and continued to survey the situation looking for the perfect opportunity to jump in and take them down. He was not strong, he may not live if he just rushed in, at least that was what he told himself. Suga did his best with his small sword, but the furs he was bundled into impeded his movement. The dark figures overwhelmed him but not before Suga spotted Daichi in the bushes.

It was now or never. He could not be afraid, he had to be brave. Daichi lunged and tackled the man near the feet, causing him to tumble over into one of his companions. A small victory that gave the stag time to run away into the forest. Suga let out a scream of pain when one of the men still standing grabbed him by his hair, lifting him up off the ground with ease. Daichi tried to intervene, tried to help but the others piled on top of him, kicking him and punching him around like a beanbag. In the flurry of violence Suga screamed and struggled as Daichi lost his strength, sinking into the snow, his blood creating little spots of red on the white ground. The last things Daichi saw were Suga being hoisted up over the figure’s shoulder screaming out his lungs, calling Daichi’s name and a finely dressed gentleman emerge from a hiding place with a pouch of money for the men involved. His world faded to black.

Daichi sat up gasping in a sheen of cold sweat. It had been another nightmare. His nightshirt was soaked right through. He stood up uneasily before padding his way sure footedly through the darkness to the wash basin to clean the dried tears and sweat off of his face with a washcloth. He chided himself for his weakness, he was supposed to be over this.

Eight years later and Suga’s disappearance still haunted him to this day. The kingdom of Karasuno had pronounced him dead days later. They blamed the trolls. Daichi knew better but no one would believe a small traveller boy who belonged to a clan of thieves and crafters. Since that day his family no longer travelled as far north as Karasuno, instead opting to allow Daichi to stay in the more southern cities of Nekoma and Fukurodani to learn how to become a master thief and an expert fighter. Yet despite all the skills he had now, it would not change the past. He often wondered what his great grandmother wanted him to learn from Suga’s situation. That his involvement was futile or was it something else? Suga was dead. There was no changing that. His kingdom had been changed and shaken irreparably by his loss. His father losing his life to despair and his brother taking over the throne with an iron fist and a harsh heart. There were hopes that his son Oikawa would improve things when he came to the throne but the damage was already being done.

But Daichi couldn’t always stay away from the north. Someone in Karasuno by the name of Ukai had sent a letter and the promise of a hefty sum of gold for a job. Yet still he thought of that day and Suga’s screams. It clenched at his heart tightly. If he were a lesser man, he would surely run away and never return, but his great grandmother said everything happened for a reason. It was finally time for Daichi to return to Karasuno.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An adventure begins! The beginning is a wee bit messy but it'll iron out next chapter! I wanted to try something a little different.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading my fic! I'd really love to hear what you think!
> 
> Please feel free to chat with me on my Tumblr and Twitter- I'm Rinoa11 there. I post updates of when I post fic so if you want to stay up to date, there is where you'll find out first!
> 
> Have a lovely day!


	2. Chapter 2

The city of Nekoma was a bustling port with many canals running throughout. It was famed for a large population of stray cats that roamed the city with a sense of divine ownership. They brought the sailors luck as they journeyed off on voyages and kept the rats and mice away from the fresh produce that was traded and bought here before being spread out across the continent. Nekoma in return traded the far off lands with rich silks, jewels and spices.

Even in the Autumn the heat did not fade and it would not do so until much later in the year. Daichi despaired a little as his choice of leather trousers, a durable and practice choice for him, was uncomfortable and sticky. Peeling the trousers off his thick thighs, he would often be greeted by a thin sheen of sweat and gently reddened skin as he hissed when the breeches unstuck themselves from the skin.

Yet he found himself waking later in the evening than usual. His nightmare from earlier in the day and the memory of Suga spurred him on to his nightly activities, armed with his letter and an instrument case on his back he headed to the destination mentioned in the letter. Pulling the scrap of paper out of his pocket he checked the location.

_“Daichi,_

_I hope this letter reaches you well. I need you to meet up with a group of musicians at the ‘Pea Green Boat Inn’. They’re gonna help you get to where I need you to go. I trust your Pa taught you to play an instrument. We’ll arrange your reward later on, but trust me, it’ll be worth it._

_Thanks again,_

_K”_

The easiest way to navigate Nekoma was through the rooftops, especially as the sun set. His people didn’t like to be cornered into small spaces. So he effortlessly climbed up onto a balcony from the trellis of a nearby building and then onto the roof. From here he could see the city like the maps his father owned, drawn out so carefully on aged parchment in ink. Every road and alleyway clear for him to see by the way the streetlamps lit them below. The cooling air felt nice as he ran atop the shingles, swinging on laundry lines and flying through the air like a crow in the night, silent and unseen. If he spread his fingertips far enough he could almost believe sometimes that he would grow wings and fly away into the darkening sky.

He could hear the inn before he saw it. A loud cacophony of noise and laughter came from within as drunkards and merrymakers crowded around inside and outside. Bright lights flooded up from the ground along with bawdy songs. The regulars of the inn were clearly in full swing as the _charming_ melody filled his ears on his descent from the sky. A smell of stale beer and hearty soup and pie filled his nostrils as he slinked into the inn, a whole host of bodies watching a pot-bellied man stand up on a stool, waving a tankard of ale around as he looked down at a young woman looking absolutely mortified and disgusted at the display before her. If he wasn’t careful a knife would probably reveal itself from her sleeve.

_“I MISS MY YUI IT’S JUST THE PITS, NO MORE FEELIN HER NAUGHTY BITS, UPON ANOTHER GIRL’S FACE SHE SITS, A LESBIAN STOLE MY YUI!”_

“SHE WAS NEVER YOURS YOU FUCKER SIT DOWN!” another listener heckled, throwing something unpleasant the singer’s way. Daichi skilfully dodged out of the way slinking through the crowd towards Yui and the pot-bellied man.

The tone deaf lead singer of the rabble was serenading his old friend with filth. Daichi stepped in as the drunken chorus was garbled out to grab the back of his collar.

  _“HOOOO VAN’S NA HO VAN HO! HO VAN’SNA HEEE HO RO! HO VAN’SNA HO VAN HO! A LESBIAN STOLE MY YUI! THANK YOU THANK YOU VERY MUCH!”_ He sang terribly as Daichi dragged him out through the crowd, boo’s following the man in his wake. Everyone loved Yui and anyone who sullied her name was sure to be given the boot.

“Alright Lad, out with you!” Daichi said as he threw the guy out, dusting his hands after he was chucked out. The guy tried to stand up and get back inside but one of Daichi’s infamous glares sent the man packing, tail between his legs, not to be seen again in the ‘Pea Green Boat Inn’

“Thanks Dai!” called Yui from her spot next to the band. She was a regular singer at the bar and many of the regulars adored her like a princess yet much to her disappointment she got herself a sweet pretty lover, a northern woman, Ailsa who sat at the back giggling at the antics revolving around her popular girlfriend. Daichi sent a wave over her way which was returned with a sweet smile. It was nice that Yui found someone nice. He only regretted that he would be taking her away soon for this task.

“So you’re gonna be our new member huh?” She stepped forward and poked him square in the chest, peering over at the instrument case slung on his back. “I hope you can play that fiddle on your back! We’re needing one for going up north!” Ukai must have been in contact with her too he mused for a moment before replying with a fond smile.

“Of course I can Yui. My mother would skelp me if I didn’t play” he said as he followed her to the backstage area to meet the other members of the band and tune his fiddle. Daichi’s smile widened as soon as he walked through the door letting out a cheer before going over to the three guys who sat down tuning and tweaking their instruments.

“This is Kuroo, this is Asahi and this is Bokuto!” she said but raised her eyebrow as the guys all hugged each other firmly. Loud cheers filled the room along with the sound of slaps on the back and friendly punches thrown. “But I suppose you know each other already huh…”

“Of course I do Yui! We practically grew up together!” Daichi replied a laugh escaping his lips as he ducked out of the way of a noogie from Kuroo.

“Yeah Daichi’s gonna be the king of thieves one day. Of course we know him Yui!” Kuroo said, slapping Daichi on the back instead, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, before sitting back down with his guitar to finish tuning it.

“He always came by Fukurodani in the winter. His dad’s a legend y’know. The true jack of all trades! He’s so cool! And Daichi’s gonna be even cooler like whoaaaa!” Bokuto exclaimed waving his whistle in the air in excitement before Asahi nervously patted Bokuto’s shoulders. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if Bokuto blew out all of his energy here and fell into a slump.

He set the case down on the wooden table and took the fiddle out of the case padded by clothes to protect him while he ran through the streets. He lifted it up and inspected the instrument. A beautiful wooden thing, passed down through his family. His father probably could have seduced the Queen of the Trolls herself with a sweet melody from this baby. It was so much to live up to. But to Daichi’s relief nothing was broken, the bridge was still intact and the strings had not snapped on his adventurous trip here. The bow was in a similar state, only needing the horsehair tightened a little.

Asahi quietly tightened the skin of his bodhran drum and twisted the tipper in between his fingertips as he tested a few beats on the drum to make sure everything was working to his specifications. He peered a shy smile at Daichi and a nod. Like Suga, Daichi had grown up close with Asahi. They belonged to the same clan and it was often thought that Asahi would be Daichi’s right hand man when it was time to him to take up the mantle of the King of Thieves. There was no doubt that he also felt the pressure too but Daichi knew that he would be able to handle it if Asahi was at his side to ground him.

Yui hummed gently to herself and warmed her voice up, waiting for the boys to finish their prep before ushering them up off of their bottoms.

“Alright lads! Time to get going. Those punters are probably have had enough booze to enjoy us!” she said with a cheeky wink, sauntering over to the door, smacking Bokuto on the back along the way.

“We’re gonna rock them so hard!” Bokuto yelled, punching the air. His hair almost seemed to fluff in the air in excitement as he followed Yui onto the stage from the back, pumping his fists in the air as the crowd cheered along with him. Kuroo followed after with his smarmy grin, waving and winking at those who enjoyed what he had to offer. The crowd parted like the red sea for Asahi as his game face set into place making him appear to be a man not to be messed with. Daichi sat down at the back, inconspicuous and keeping to himself as Asahi started the set by throwing the beat into motion. It was like he transformed into a different person altogether. The shy Asahi gone and replaced with a rough and ready musician that could charm the socks off of any listener as long as he smiled at them.

Their melodies combined perfectly. It was like they had been playing together for years. The crowd loved them, stamping their feet and clapping their hands with the upbeat songs they played. Yui’s voice carried strong and sweet from jig to reel to ballad. Tales of war, love, valour, adventure and treachery were woven for the keen listeners who sang along at all the right bits. Sometimes her songs were complete nonsense with only noises and made up words to create the perfect beat and melody. Daichi’s fiddle behaved magnificently, the old girl playing out the melodies with a husky warmth that complimented Yui’s sweet voice so well. The excitement and buzz of playing made him feel like he would fly out of his seat at any moment, but he instead just stamped his feet in time with Asahi’s beat, fortifying his friend’s efforts further.

The band even added in backing vocals when necessary, Kuro’s voice silky smooth, complimenting Yui’s husky sweetness. She excelled in the character of the bitter woman. Pointing her fingers out with a great satisfaction at the greasy onlookers.

 _“Oh noble youth who has left me!”_ she sang boldly near the end of the song, the apex building the crowd up to a state of euphoria. Bokuto’s fingers flew nimbly along the holes in the whistle as he played a twisty melody, bouncing in his seat as he did so. Kuroo strummed along feet stamping along with Daichi who seemed to use his whole body as his fingers flew along the neck of the fiddle, his bow wildly bowing the strings. Asahi beat out the rhythm with his tipper on different parts of the bodhran in an up and down motion, damping every so often with his fingertips with a large grin on his face, sweat beading on his brow.

 _“Hi ri-abh o hiuraidh oh ho, hi ri-abh o ro hubhag, hi ri-abh a hiuraibh oh ho!_ ” the crowd and the band sang in response, almost yelling, clapping their hands and stamping their feet as they danced below them.

“ _You kept me behind all the others_!” she finished and joined in for the final chorus, watching the revellers spin and dance around them to exhaustion.

“ _Hi ri-abh o hiuraidh oh ho, hi ri-abh o ro hubhag, hi ri-abh a hiuraibh oh ho! Hi ri-abh o hiuraidh oh ho, hi ri-abh o ro hubhag, hi ri-abh a hiuraibh oh ho! Hi ri-abh o hiuraidh oh ho, hi ri-abh o ro hubhag, hi ri-abh a hiuraibh oh hooooooooooooo!”_ The crowd burst into a large cheer at the end, a wild applause and coins were collected in empty pint glasses and tankards to be passed to the front of the stage.

Daichi watched from his seat near the back with satisfaction. Indeed, if this atmosphere could be emulated in the north, Ukai would surely be happy with this if he could see.

Tomorrow they would head north but tonight they would drink and be merry.

Their journey north began with a hangover. Bokuto felt like death and even Yui who knew her limits well felt a little fragile. Yet their travel was an easy one until they got into Karasuno territory. Daichi had managed to secure the band a small cart and some horses from a friend in the area to speed up the process but when they hit Karasuno, everything changed. Although Daichi knew the land like the back of his hand, the forests bringing up feelings of warm and bitter nostalgia in his chest, it was safer to stick to the outermost edges. The little group rode around on the back of horses, they had been loaned by Ailsa’s family at the border of Nekoma, switching from the cart. They proceeded swiftly, time and secrecy being of the essence.

Daichi didn’t know what the rush was but in further correspondences with Ukai through the use of carrier pigeons, it was essential that they reach the north soon. They didn’t have much time left until the North would close its borders for the preparation for the solstice ball.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We meet Daichi's crew! There may be a couple more to come! But to the North they go! 
> 
> Thank you all so much for your comments and kudos! They really mean a lot to me and give me a wee spring in my step!
> 
> I hope you all have a lovely day! 
> 
> (Fun fact: Folk music is such a big part of my life. I'm basing their band heavily on Scottish folk music as I played/sung in a band myself. The song that the pot bellied man sings is a silly parody song called "A Lesbian Stole My Morag" by Bramax (be warned it's filthy!) The song that Yui is singing is "Oganaich Ur a Rinn m'fhagail" by Julie Fowlis for anyone who wants to get the tune of what she's singing. Otherwise please imagine your own!)


	3. Chapter 3

She rested her cheeks on her hands as she watched the back of the woman she loved so deeply, right to the depths of her soft inner core filled with magma and magic, shift as fingers flew across the keys of the pipe organ.

Here in the place where in the summer the night would never end and in the winter the dark would never leave, her love spun divine melodies that would make the northern lights come out to greet their icy landscape. Lights that would paint delicate shades of purple pink and green onto the snow, for the whole of trollkind to see.

Her concentration and focus made Yachi’s heart flutter in her stone chest. She was so blessed to have been chosen by her, so blessed to be noticed and found starving on the streets by this lady who was so refined, so polished, so…. So…. There were no words. Only feelings that were warm and burned within hot and lava-like.

Kiyoko, the beauty of the North. A woman so wise and good that their queen had chosen her as her right hand woman. They never thought that she would need to do anything except be a guiding light and a passive inspiration to the trolls in their city but with the disappearance of their dear queen several years ago, Kiyoko needed to take on the role of a leader in these dark times. Her brother Ryuu was never meant to be a leader, instead taking pride and joy at providing food for their people. He mourned the most when their queen had been lost. But there was always hope that their shining queen would return with her wild smile and her untameable eyes to bring joy back to their kingdom

So she played the organ wonderfully for the entire city to hear the notes bounce off the ice so delicately, creating crystalline melodies that sparkled and harmonised with the wind. Only Yachi would hear the humming part, soft, breathy and almost unnoticeable amongst the bold ringing of the organ.

Yachi loved to watch her play most of all. Nothing brought her more joy than curling up in the corner in a comfortable spot and just closing her eyes as the melody washed over her, reverberating deeply and burrowing into her heart where she would keep it safe for all time.

But their reverie was broken when a maid burst into the room looking panicky, her shoulders shaking, her eyes frantically flitting every which way in the room.

“I can’t find him! He wasn’t in his suite! The soft skin’s gone!” she cried, stone hands coming up to cup her cheeks in shame and embarrassment as tears rolled down her face.

Yachi stood and shook her head with a kind smile. “It’s alright. He does this sometimes. You have no need to worry. I’ll sort it out.” She turned to face Kiyoko as the maid eagerly left, who still sat on the stool, legs dangling over the pedals of the organ, almost itching to resume. Yachi understood that Kiyoko needed to play like she needed to breathe. Kiyoko smiled sweetly in understanding, the perfect picture of loveliness in Yachi’s mind, grey skin sparkling softly in the candlelight. Yachi nodded and smiled back.

“Go find him. I’ll be here or in our room later. I don’t intend to do any preparations for the ball tonight” Kiyoko said softly waving as Yachi waved back before she turned to leave.

The softskin… where to begin with the softskin? He had come to them many years ago, before their queen had disappeared. She bade them keep him. Her highness always had an innate sense for these things and what needed to be done much like Kiyoko did. He was so small, fat and soft when he came. He cried so much and wailed that if she were not supported by Kiyoko, Yachi was sure that she would be scared.

Her steps took her through the palace, a grand building filled with ancient tapestries and decorative pillars showing the Trolls history in the world. They were a race who loved to keep to themselves and loved sharing their riches in mining and stories and music with the world. But the world was afraid and shoved them back to the icy north. The softskins had no understanding that beneath their hard and rugged exterior lay soft hearts, much like theirs.

The enlightened softskins loved them and their culture and the trolls loved them back. The queen spoke of a royal family who were so kind and loved their weavers and craftspeople so they sent back people to learn their trade, bringing curious folk with them who sought a life out on the edge of the tundra. For a long time peace reigned and a quiet alliance begun with trades of goods and ideas being bountiful for both.

Yachi didn’t know what happened. Everything was going so well until it wasn’t. The softskins that lived in the kingdom of the north stopped speaking to them, everything went silent. And then this small boy showed up, and their queen went missing. So much confusion, so much hurt, so much healing that needed to be done yet none of it was being done. It was frustrating!

Her inner musings had taken her outside, past the edge of the town to a lake that never froze, even in the wintertime. There was magma below the bed of the lake that kept the waters from dropping to freezing. This was where she found the softskin youth.

He was standing barefoot in a nightshirt, shivering in the snow. He was lit by the full moon, a silvery pale ghost. Something that probably shouldn’t exist. Kiyoko’s melodies could be heard in the distance and the aurora danced above them, the colours reflecting on his almost translucent skin, save for the pink on tips of his fingertips that told Yachi that the softskin was far too cold.

He always looked so lonely, so blank, an expression of nothingness on his features much of the time if he wasn’t speaking to anyone. When he spoke his fluency of the Troll language surprised them all but his tongue and his lips were too soft to properly grasp the fullness of their words. Ryuu was a stupid boy when he was younger and laughed when and where he shouldn’t have at the small softskin’s clumsiness. So he fell silent.

Isolation naturally happened. He wasn’t supposed to be here, or at least live here. Their Queen had such a way with him, a warmth that made him sparkle and shimmer, the way she did with everyone. Sometimes he would laugh for her and on the rarest times he sung for her in a language she could not understand. It would be a miracle to hear his song again. It would probably never happen. His heart was frozen in ice, protected in a cold shell that no troll could ever hope to penetrate with their fire or even the soups and Slank they fed him could not warm his core.

The Slank was a last resort. After their queen had gone missing the softskin boy cried inconsolably, perhaps even more than Ryuu. His screams and wails unintelligible. He was in so much pain, his soul was sick so Slank was the only way to go. Slank to warm the soul and make him forget. And forget he did.

His neck arched beautifully as he looked at her, a blank expression on his face but it was clear that he wanted to cry. She took of her parka and held it out to him, inwardly begging him to come into it, to feel the warmth of the furs and beast skins. He just needed to live one more Solstice. Ryuu spoke of there being a treat in store. A troupe of softskins from the south to play at their ball. Maybe it would make their sweet pale softskin smile again.

But for now he came closer to Yachi, shivering and ice cold to the touch. The guilt she felt, the guilt they all felt burrowed deep. It was like they had betrayed him and locked him away but they did not know how else to help him. He had no home to go to except for here.

“You will get sick if you do not stop this” she said, chiding him softly, taking him into her arms and bundling him into the parka before carrying him back inside. “Some Slank will make you feel better I’m sure. It will make you forget your bad dream.”

“I don’t want to!” he cried out mumbling into her neck, the sleepiness from the cold overtaking him. Guilt so much guilt. There was no other way, not until the solstice at least.

“I’m sorry little softskin but you must. Just a couple of sips to warm you up before going back to bed. That’s all I ask?” she pleaded as she took him upstairs to his chambers. Ice had begun to form spikes outside of his window on the balcony, making it too sharp for him to climb out on, even with boots. No wonder he snuck outside to the softness of the snow.

She bundled him into bed, piling blanket after blanket, and many furs on top of him until his small soft body almost disappeared. She remembered her queen’s words. Closing her eyes she could see the vision before her. Her queen held the tiny softskin in her arms. He was shivering in her grey arms against her bosom. Her blonde hair curled around her face sharply, ceremonial braids twined into the strands. _“Always warm him up slowly Yachi. Never a hot bath. This harms the softskins.”_ So blankets and Slank it was.

She went to get a cup of Slank for the soft skin to find him fast asleep in his nest when she returned. Silver hair that had grown longer during his time here, enough to comfortably cover his ears and kiss his chin if he wore a hat, splayed out on the fluffy pillows. Long eyelashes kissed his rosy cheeks and pink lips parted in a calm breath. He was safe. That was all anyone could ask for. Their Queen’s final request to them was being fulfilled. Keep the softskin boy safe until her return. They were doing their best.

-

In the south near the borders of the north and Karasuno, Daichi’s band had run into some trouble. It was true that Daichi knew the forests like the back of his hand and for the most part this had stood them in good stead. They had avoided the most trouble this way, keeping close to the outskirts. Yet it was inevitable that they would run into some kind of trouble of some sort. As soon as Asahi’s bad feelings kicked in Daichi knew things that would turn for the worse.

“I have a bad feeling” Asahi said voice shaking, eyes scanning the trees and the canopy nervously from atop of his horse. Bokuto and Kuroo snorted and rolled their eyes at their nervous companion. Although the pair were excellent fighters and perceptive in their own way, what they thought of as danger, largely undermined Asahi’s keen sense of trouble. Of course, it was hard for them to perceive trouble when they were practically trouble itself.

“Should we stop?” Yui asked, always preferring to err on the side of caution, looking towards their leader for a sign.

It was then that Daichi’s own senses kicked in, he closed his eyes and could hear the footsteps crystal clear and when he opened his eyes in the distance he saw the soldiers. The new Kingsguard racing towards them swords bared. The danger his great grandmother had talked about had started to come. He looked at the squad all dressed in their finery and could see that they were well armed for close combat. Their long distance weapons would be useless if they rode fast enough and weaved in and out the trees. He looked at his friends and made a small waving motion with his hand.

“No. Ride faster!” Daichi called kicking his horse from a walk into a full gallop weaving quickly in and out the trees. It was entirely possible that they wanted to stop their group from reaching the borders before they would close its path to travellers in time for the solstice.

Bokuto and Kuroo took a moment to nod at each other and grin. Slingshots at the ready they acrobatically rode past the trees and fired rocks and other random artillery at the kingsguard, slowing them down sufficiently. Kuroo even leapt out from his saddle to jump up into the canopy swinging from branch to branch, leaping like a cat as they shot rock after rock at the helmets. Bokuto cheered loudly when a couple of kingsguards fell from their seats, having been knocked too hard in the head by the rocks. They were wearing helmets so they should be safe aside from a few nasty bruises and maybe a couple of broken bones depending on how they landed.

Yui pointed at the large wall border, as they approached. “Look not much further!” she called to Asahi, hoping to allay his fears. Asahi nodded gratefully and picked up his speed even faster to reach the gates of the border. The rest of the group followed him, leaving the dishevelled kingsguard in the distance.

Asahi could finally breathe a sigh of relief and slump to the ground, next to his horse, gratefully when the gates had closed for the day. Daichi dismounted, went to Asahi’s horse and offered his friend a hand up while passed him the parka that had been resting under his horse’s saddle to keep it warm. The rest of the group did the same, taking their parkas from the horses backs to keep warm as the air out here would become sufficiently colder as the night began to draw in.

“We have to leave the horses here. Ailsa’s brother said he’d collect them soon.” Yui told them, rubbing her hands together and blowing on them, already feeling the chill. She dug into her pockets to find a pair of mittens.

“Daichi where did you find this gear?” Kuroo asked slipping his own mittens on.

“Yeah man you totally lucked out!” Bokuto chimed in, shimmying and twirling around in his cosy parka.

“It’s a loan. The guy I’m doing this job for gave them to me to borrow” Daichi replied simply with a shrug, his eyes scanning the horizon as the trees grew more sparse before fading into nothing but white snow.

“He probably spent some time up in the north to have them then” Asahi commented, inspecting the fine stitching on his own. The fur felt soft and each parka seemed to have a story stitched into the sleeves with threads of gold and silver, in a language that they could not understand. “They’re pretty well made.”

“They’d sell for a ton probably” Kuroo mused, sidling up to Daichi’s side with a sly grin, knowing that Daichi was not beneath such ways.

“Not this time. The guy doesn’t deserve it. Also this job will get us a big reward if we’re successful, although I’m not exactly sure why.” Playing a few tunes at a ball for trolls is not exactly the biggest nor most dangerous thing Daichi was likely to encounter in his lifetime, yet why did he feel a sense of trepidation in his gut?

They travelled quietly, walking through the snow together. Yui told the group some stories that Ailsa had passed onto her, ones that she would whisper in a thick accent as Yui drifted off to sleep. A firebird, a crow, a man called Ivan and several trees later, Asahi’s worrying had settled down into silent wonder as Yui wove the tale as Ailsa had until they neared their destination.

In the distance they spotted a small village and on the edge they met with a pair of young men with a Reindeer and giant husky like dogs ready to take them to their location. The dogs were attached to wooden boat-like sleds with plush seating that would slide easily across the snow. Beautiful carvings of dogs and reindeer running free covered the side along with writing that was in a similar style to their parkas.  Ukai really had thought of everything when planning this. The men were pale with dark hair and dark eyes. An air of mystery surrounded them both as they climbed into a sled each.

“It’s going to be too heavy!” Asahi said looking at the five of them and the two other men. “The dogs won’t be able to take us!”

“Do not worry friend” the one called Ennoshita said. “I, Ennoshita, shall take the lady and yourself, Akaashi shall take the two gentlemen over there.” He said introducing themselves before motioning over to Bokuto and Kuroo who at their names being called happily hopped into the sled with Akaashi, getting comfortable in the seats. “And your leader shall ride on Riku!”

Daichi looked up at the reindeer and offered his gloved hand for the beast to sniff. It was a large beast with a beautiful coat of ashen blonde and dark grey, almost like Suga’s hair. The reigns that were on him were woven with beautiful leather and thread. The saddle and coat it wore were made with the same love and care the sled had been.

“You are a marvellous creature. A true king of the Tundra” Daichi crooned as it leaned down and inhaled his scent and snorted in approval at the praise. After a cursory glance at Akaashi, who smiled and nodded encouragingly, Daichi was then allowed to stroke its snout and neck until it got used to him, making noises of contentment and approval at the worshipful attention he was being given and then allowed him to climb onto its back.

“Alright then, Riku will follow the dogs. Don’t worry we will get you to the Troll Kingdom. Afterall, we’re invited to the ball too. Hang on tight please!” Ennoshita said letting loose special a yell to signal for the dogs to begin to move.

Asahi clung tightly to the seat in front of him in the sled letting loose a squeak of fear but Yui held his hand and smiled sweetly. “It’s alright Asahi, I trust that Ennoshita is a good driver. You were invited you say?” she asked snugging close into Asahi’s side for warmth and comfort.

“Yes! The trolls give our people so much and we give what we can in return. Each year they invite us up to their kingdom for the Solstice ball but this is the first time we have seen people from Karasuno way in a good number of years!” Ennoshita explained, keeping an eye out for Daichi as he raced closer and closer.

Daichi waved as he managed to get his bearings on the back of Riku, deciding to place his full trust in the Reindeer. Ennoshita was right, Riku really did know where to go. Riku had so much confidence that he raced past Akaashi’s sled. Bokuto and Kuroo both fooling around comfortably in the back with what seemed to be a pack of cards, but Bokuto also had his sights set on their driver. He hoped that it would not end in tears as Riku sped past them and towards Ennoshita’s sled.

“He likes you!” Ennoshita called as Riku galloped alongside them. Daichi held on tightly, his thighs gripping the saddle sturdily as Ennoshita and Yui giggled at the Reindeer’s happiness. Asahi looked a little more worried. “I had a feeling he would!”

Daichi could only smile and bow his head humbly. “Thank you. Please take care of my fiddle” he called over to the group, nodding to his instrument in Yui’s lap. Yui gave a mittened thumbs up and a large grin. “I think Riku wishes to go faster.”

Ennoshita nodded in understanding. A small tap on Riku’s side with his foot kicked him up into full pelt. They shot across the snow and ice at breathtaking speeds. The convoy of sleds and dogs grew smaller and smaller behind him to become tiny pinpricks in the dark. But Daichi was not afraid. He trusted Riku to guide him where he needed to go. The Reindeer wished to go home and it would happily lead Daichi there as fast as if he was racing on the north wind itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so much fun to write! Yachi is a super fun lady to write and I just really enjoyed taking time with her!
> 
> Riku the Reindeer makes his debut too! I hope you like him as much as I do.
> 
> Thank you all for your kind kudos and comments, it really warms my heart to see you enjoying my story. If you would like to say hi or scream at me about DaiSuga then please find me on Twitter or Tumblr as Rinoa11. I post my story updates there so if you would like to know asap then there is the best place to look!
> 
> Have a lovely day!


	4. Chapter 4

Oikawa sat at the desk in his quarters tapping his fingers in frustration against the wood panelling. This wasn’t good enough.

“What do you mean you sent the thief king’s heir to do this job?” he demanded glaring at Keishin as he picked up the letter and waved it in front of him. “You do realize he was spotted by my uncle’s men passing through the forest to the north. This isn’t good enough!”

“My lord,” Keishin began, feeling an eye twitch a little at the prince’s behaviour. When he was the captain of the guard he was not treated in this way by anyone. He was respected by the kingdom and his subordinates. The last king and queen regarded him as a trusted confidant, someone suitable and capable of keeping the peace of the kingdom. In truth, although he still was regarded in the utmost respect by the kingdom, the palace guard and the palace staff, he held no power to change anything. Nothing in comparison to what he used to hold. It was frustrating and humiliating. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and began again, hoping that the new crown prince would understand his plight.

“Your highness, I feel that in order to gain all the information we need, especially if she is correct, it will need to be done with subtly that only a king of thieves can guarantee. He is an honourable man, I truly believe, nay, I guarantee that the job shall be done to the highest standard! Especially if the information given to us is true!”

Oikawa sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I hope… I pray that it is true. I would give anything for this information to be true, yet I cannot find it in myself to completely trust your source…” He stood and walked to the window with a bitter smile, looking out on the courtyard of Karasuno. His hands gripped the windowsill tightly. His desperation and fear made themselves apparent to Keishin in the way his shoulders barely shook as his voice came out almost as quiet as a whisper. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they wanted to frame me and have me dead for what has come to pass. I wouldn’t blame them either. My father has done terrible and unforgivable things.”

The knowledge of what had happened all those years ago weighed heavily on the both of them. Nothing was ever truly confirmed, a body was never found but Prince Sugawara Koushi of Karasuno had died, murdered by trolls. That’s what the stories would lead people to believe. That’s what the current king would have people to believe, using the loss of the beloved young prince and the subsequent death of his father from “grief”.

It wasn’t grief. Keishin could see it as clear as day that it was an assassination but the council and the other kingdoms believed that grief took hold of their dear king, having lost both his wife and son in such a short space of time, or if they didn’t they were afraid. Oikawa’s father was a terrifying man to be reckoned with, an excellent and savvy diplomat to some but a cruel and power-hungry conqueror to others. The small land of Aoba Jousai, the homeland of Oikawa’s beautiful mother would probably never forgive him for ripping her away from their lands.

Oikawa had more than enough reason to fear for his life, he was living in a pit of vipers and unless Keishin’s source was correct and Daichi did his job properly, he would be doomed to a fate like his mother, cousin and uncle. Once he was no longer useful he would be disposed of, or worse. The council were like putty in his father’s hands. They bent too easily. Was it fear that made them do it? Corruption? Or something else entirely? The knowledge bore down heavily on him. He was alone, truly alone here to fight a man who was meant to love and guide him, and yet his father would slit his throat in the blink of an eye all for the sake of ambition. There was only so much he could do, running away would guarantee his death if he was caught but oh… to be free! To be out there! To not have to play this courtly game with a knife to his back wearing a mask of sweetness. That would be bliss. But he had to play his part or there was no telling what his father would do. He had heard horrific stories of red glowing and screams coming from his father’s quarters. It was too fearsome to think of.

He saw Keishin leave the room with a bow, exciting his quarters a couple of rooms away. The door locked with a deep and heavy click. Imprisoned again. He had something else to take care of. Another to check in on, another to babysit. Oikawa could only thank the small blessings that this man was the one who his father had appointed to watch him. To check in on him from time to time and make sure that he was still behaving, and most importantly, still alive.

Keishin sensed that Oikawa did not wish to speak any more. It was not wise for him to spend too much time away from his charge but he trusted the guards of the palace to be discreet, after all they still cared for him and his legacy. Unlike the council, they had stayed true to their loyalties but Keishin knew that it would only be a matter of time before everything inevitably fell under the new King’s rule.

It was time for him to return to his post. He bowed and left, heading down to the kitchens to collect a finely prepared meal to deliver it to its recipient. Then upwards through the castle to a secret passage and a locked door behind a fake bookshelf.

His charge sat poised in her chair, back facing to the locked door of the room. Taller than any human, tilted her head and smiled. She was dressed impeccably despite being a prisoner. Her existence here was a complete secret. To anyone interested, she was missing and probably dead. No one except the current King of Karasuno and Keishin knew about her imprisonment, the Troll Queen of the North.  Diamond earrings clinked gently against her stony jawline, glittering dazzlingly. Keishin gulped and stepped inside the lion’s den, food at the ready, willing himself to not give into the temptations of this fierce and stony woman that only he knew about. She bit her lip and laughed at the fear that flashed in his eyes for a moment.

Oh how did he desire her. He would look longingly at her when he thought she was not looking. A gentle gaze lingering on the nape of her neck. Keishin wondered what it would be like to place a gentle kiss there. He wondered how her cool skin would feel beneath his soft, hot lips. Flesh upon rock. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a moment to centre himself, reminding himself of his wishes and dreams, the pure ones. He wished that he could give her the freedom that she craved. He hoped that Daichi would secure whatever that she needed. She was so intent that it had to be the Thief King or his progeny to fulfil the task. Something about the lights telling her that he needed to be the one. Keishin also prayed that the legends of the Thief King and his clan were true. That they could do any job without fail.

-

The heir to the thief king rode through the night on the back of Riku the reindeer. Snow kicked up behind them as they raced through great icy structures, weaving in and out through spikes, jumping over ravines and crevasses. It was a dangerous road in the night, the cold biting into any piece of skin that was available. It seeped into his core yet he fought it off thinking of sweet things to warm his heart.

He thought of Fukurodani in the sunshine. The city with tall buildings atop of cliffs that reached out to the sky. A vista of glittering white marble and blue tile roofs that glittered in the sunshine. Waterfalls would pour down from the top of the mountains, granting the inhabitants with pure, clean water. It was a paradise that he wished to take Suga to one day. He would take him around the marketplace to sample the foods. The sweet breads, the ripe olives and tart cheeses, all mouth-wateringly melting on the tongue. The street performers would play loudly on their lutes and flutes, dancers would shake their hips and clap in time with the beat of the rowdy drum. Onlookers would hoot and holler their appreciation and Daichi would watch it all with Suga unfold.

That’s what he dreamed of at least. For now the song changed from the tantric melodies in his mind to something more ethereal and icy. When he opened his eyes he could see the colours of the aurora spill out and splash upon the white canvas of the snow. Notes played from a pipe organ echoed through the icy pillars with such aching clarity that they pierced and shook Daichi to his core. Riku seemed delighted at the fanfare, the reindeer’s speed picking up to its peak.

Then after the melody came the town. Comfortable homes made of stone and slate, well-tended to streets and paths gave way to a brilliant citadel like castle with tall spires that stretched to the dark skies. The streets were quiet and empty but the joyful sounds coming from the castle stopped an uneasy feeling from springing up. Daichi’s eyes scanned the area instinctively for spaces to climb. They were soon fixed on the spikes that littered the balconies, sharp and deadly to any who chose to climb high enough to try and reach into the inner sanctums of the castle. His eyes mapped out the crevasses and nooks safe enough to hide in in case things turned foul and an escape was needed.

When the sleds had caught up to him, cheery and full of song, not too long after, the group made their way into the castle for warmth and a cheery welcome.

Daichi had never met a troll before so he didn’t know what to expect. Of course he had heard stories of grey hard rock-like skin but he thought that perhaps that may be exaggeration or a cruel rumour by the current king of Karasuno to make them sound more fearsome than they were. He didn’t think that it would be or could possibly be true. Yet when he saw a small blonde troll and a taller dark haired troll come to meet them, through the hustle and bustle of the final party preparations, standing regally together, hand in hand he found himself feeling more awe than fear.

“Welcome! I trust your travels were well my friends!” the older troll said in a common tongue with a sweet, calm smile. Daichi’s eyes turned to Asahi and Yui. Their faces were pink from the cold air and they huddled together for warmth like a pair of penguins in their furry parkas. Kuroo and Bokuto instead chose to keep moving while Akaashi and Ennoshita looked perfectly used to the icy temperatures of the outside. The latter pair smiled and nodded at the dark haired troll with a fondness and familiarity in their eyes.

Daichi cleared his throat, doing his best to understand what the woman was saying through her deep and gravely voice and put on one of his dashing smiles before bowing slightly at the waist. “Yes, our travels were without trouble. We thank you for the opportunity to play at your ball tonight.”

He didn’t notice that from above, past the bannisters a pale figure sat and watched them all, quiet as a mouse before the group were swept off to some bedrooms to get changed into the fine clothes and masks that had been loaned to them for tonight’s festivities. There was enough time for Asahi to have a nap and Yui took her time finding some troll girls to find out what sort of dresses were the most fashionable in the kingdom.

The hours passed quickly as the group bathed, rested and warmed up from their icy journey. Kuroo and Bokuto bounced around wildly, trying to involve the calm Akaashi and Ennoshita in their fun but soon the group was clean and dressed up dashingly for their performance. They were clad in rich leathers and warm velvets to keep out the chill. Their instruments were tuned to perfection and they were ready to join the hustle and bustle of the party in the grand hall.

After donning their masks and descending the staircases down to the grand hall they were greeted with a loud and thunderous applause of gratitude and joyfulness. Daichi had never seen a party like this in his life. The trolls danced with no abandon, flinging each other wildly around the room without a care in the world. The women were tall and goddess like and the men were burly and heroic for the most part. Yet despite all the rowdy dancing and atmosphere there was no sense of chaos or ill intent. Everyone was here to have a good time and if their little group could add another little spice to the solstice ball then they were welcomed with open arms.

Daichi watched Akaashi and Ennoshita be greeted like old friends by some trolls and swept off into the party for drink and conversation. Bokuto watched them wistfully, visibly wilting slightly at their departure. Kuroo smacked him on the back and Asahi placed a hand on his shoulder with a small smile of understanding. Yui however clapped her hands and bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement, she was raring to go.

“Alright boys! Let’s show these trolls how we party!” she cheered while punching the air before marching the band over to the stage like a general marching her soldiers to war. Daichi chuckled and twisted his fiddle in his hands as he followed, before he seated himself near the back.

The crowd hushed as soon as Yui stepped to the front of the stage, she looked to her side at Asahi as a signal for him to start off the beat with Bokuto and Kuroo following keenly on the whistle and guitar before Daichi’s fiddle cut through the winding melodies to enchant the trolls.

The trolls they danced! They danced and swirled around with the human folk from the nearby town there to enjoy the festivities. Brightly coloured clothes swirled together as the crowd danced in sets of four, six and eight many different jigs and reels. Everything that their little band could play they played from twosteps to eightsome reels to dashing white sargeants but it was clear that Bokuto was beginning to need a break. Asahi’s poor arm looked sore and Yui’s voice needed a rest after so many dances and songs in a row. The pace needed to slow down a little and Daichi was the one to give the group some respite. He looked at Kuroo to check on his friend, the black cat gave him his usual smarmy grin and a thumbs up. It was their turn to dazzle the crowd with their smooth and calm set.

The crowd fell to a low hum when Daichi marched out onto the centre of the stage, coming out of his hiding spot in the back and bowing deeply, showing off his muscular arms as he stretched them.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Let me enchant you with a few tunes from my people,” he began in a common tongue, hoping they would understand, as he placed the fiddle in the crook of his shoulder, twirling the bow easily in his deft fingers. “I hope you will enjoy the change of pace.”

As soon as his bow hit the strings it was like a shock of electricity raced through the crowd. The music Daichi played was an entirely different beast. Kuroo faded into the background of the stage, his guitar only serving to provide an accompaniment to the wild and sexy melodies Daichi played. It was like a devil had come out and possessed him, the thief king’s heir clad in black and masked like a villain seducing the crowd with his sensual songs, entreating them to listen.

Kiyoko and Yachi sat far away at the other end of the room, tucked into one another. The festivities of the solstice had been going magnificently and Daichi’s band had no small part to play in this but the songs that were being played now… They felt their hair stand on end. It was like old magic that they hadn’t heard in a long time. Not this kind at least. The crowd were hooked.

Yachi’s eyes flew around to look for their little softskin. She had hoped he would make an appearance but they hadn’t seen him all day. She was comforted to hear from the maids that he had been dressed and prepared for this occasion but whether he turned up was still his choice, but to her delight she spied him, in a far corner near the window. It looked like he had just shown face as she hadn’t seen nor heard from him all night. He too must have been lured by the energy that Daichi was presenting to the crowd.

However instead of giving the crowd another slice of hot dark magic, Daichi and Kuroo toned their performance down even further and started to play a melody full of heartache and longing. A slow, almost lullaby like song. The couples around the room took this as a cue to dance together slowly, swaying in the glittering lights of the aurora and the chandeliers above them. Yachi snuggled closer to Kiyoko and was about to close her eyes when she heard Kiyoko gasp. Yachi turned up her eyes to look at her precious lady and made a noise of askance.

“Look,” Kiyoko whispered, pointing over to where the pale softskin stood. “Listen closely as I taught you, through the ice.”

His lips were moving. Yachi closed her eyes and listened hard through the reverberations in the ice. She could not do it as well as Kiyoko but she could hear something. So feint, so soft, the softskin was singing. He knew the melody and the words that they didn’t.

Daichi heard the singing much clearer than the two troll women, he opened his eyes from his private reverie and spotted the singer, turned away from him, looking out the window, hair as pale as snow, clothed in velvets and furs pale in colour to match. It was like he was a ghost in this icy land. A shiver raced up his spine as a feeling of need and curiosity set itself deep into his bones. The pale singer sang beautifully and quietly words that his mother used to sing to him long ago. He had to see who this singer was.

To his relief after this song, the trolls wished to thank the humans by playing their own tunes, they insistently shoved them into the crowd, beckoning them to join in the dances and the drinking games of their people. Bokuto had found Akaashi and Ennoshita huddled together with a group of trolls, speaking in a tongue that he did not understand but he was more than happy enough to drink. Yui was swept up by some enamoured ladies and Asahi preferred to enjoy the party from the sidelines with a quiet drink in his hand, leaving Daichi to do as he wished.

Much to Daichi’s disappointment the pale singer had been swept up into a jovial dance by some eager trolls. They twirled him around with great enthusiasm that was not shared, instead the singer seemed uncertain and almost afraid, like he didn’t know what to do, like he would trip and fall on his face at any moment. He clearly was not used to these kinds of dances. Was he a visitor to these lands like the band was or did he choose to stay here?

They spun around faster and faster until the young man inevitably could not stand the force of the swings any longer and stumbled, to trip and fall to the ground. He scrunched his eyes shut and his body curled in small to prepare for the impact of hitting the floor but before his body could touch the ground, Daichi had raced forward to catch the pale singer in his arms with a gentle thud.

The young man’s eyes flew open in alarm to meet Daichi’s own. A delicate white mask covered most of his eye area to obscure his face. Daichi saw deep amber and gold flecked within the pools of his eyes. His heart leapt up to his throat, the cheers of the crowd fading out to a dull hum as he helped the young man up to his feet. He seemed to be very delicate compared to the company Daichi usually kept. Slender hands gripping at his muscular arms with uncertainty and nervousness.

Daichi gulped. His mouth felt dry as he tried to find the words to say. How did this youth know his mother’s song? Would he even understand him? He had to try.

Kiyoko watched from her throne with Yachi as Daichi bent on one knee, taking the softskin’s hand in his own.

“Would you like to go somewhere quieter?” he asked in the common human tounge, his voice feint and husky to Kiyoko’s ears and to her surprise, the softskin spoke.

“Yes, I would like to very much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a long time! Sorry about the wait everyone! My girlfriend visited me from overseas and I got swept up in the glorious madness of that! I'm feeling a little uncertain about this chapter but now that this is out of the way I can get into the fun stuff!
> 
> Thank you all ever so much for your kind comments and kudos! They really mean the world to me.
> 
> If you want to chat I'm Rinoa11 on Twitter and Tumblr.


	5. Chapter 5

Daichi and the softskin wove their way through the groups of trolls in silence amidst the hustle and bustle of the grand party. Strange music filled Daichi’s ears as he could see the trolls take part in dances of their own but his main focus was on the pale beacon of the young man who sung along with the gentle lullabies his mother sang when he was young. He snaked through the crowd like a ghost, something not belonging to this plane of existence, something to be ignored and overlooked entirely. If Daichi looked away for one moment he was sure that he would evaporate and disappear before he even noticed. So he followed as close as he dare until they were out of the ballroom and heading down some corridors filled with tapestries and woven stories upon the walls.

The young man didn’t look at him until they had reached an open area outside, a garden of sorts. Or it would be if it weren’t covered in ice and snow. Daichi felt a shiver crawl up his spine at the drop in temperature, he pulled a pair of gloves out of his pocket to guard his hands but the pale youth seemed unperturbed as he turned to face Daichi. Daichi searched for words. He had so many questions but the masked youth smiled so sweetly, pink plush lips curving upwards slightly before he opened his mouth and spoke.

“Thank you for giving me an excuse to leave. I do not like parties much,” he said. His voice was soft and husky, probably from a long period of disuse. It surprised Daichi to hear him speaking in the common tongue so fluently. Daichi almost expected him to only know how to speak Troll. Daichi returned the smile he was given graciously as he watched the youth sit down on a marble bench.

“I am surprised that you chose somewhere outside,” Daichi began, going to sit next to him. “You do not seem well equipped for these icy temperatures, unless you too are a troll?”

“No. I am a softskin like you.” He moved his sleeve aside to show a pale wrist before pinching the flesh between his gloved fingers to prove his point. “I just like how quiet it is at night.”

Daichi nodded in understanding, leaning back with a low hum, trying to ignore the chill that made him want to shiver. “How do you stand the cold then?” Daichi asked, a whine of uncharacteristic complaint almost making its way into his tone.

“Is this twenty questions?” the youth quipped back, a playful sparkle coming into his eyes along with a faint smile of amusement on his lips. Daichi didn’t know how a simple smile could knock the wind out of his sails but he grasped the pale gloved hand and raised it to his lips to try and feel like he wasn’t going to spit out garbled nonsense.

“If that is what my lord wishes, then who am I to protest?”

A nod and the pale beauty before him shuffled in his seat for a moment before he considered the answer to give. “I’ve lived here for a while. I suppose I am accustomed to it.” The way he did not meet Daichi’s eyes gave the thief king’s heir the impression that he wasn’t being completely honest but he was not one to pry so soon. He waited quietly until he was asked a question.

“Where did you learn to play like that?” The youth made a show of bowing the air. “You’re very skilled on a fiddle.”

Daichi snorted at the mimicry but settled to answer “Why thank you. I learned from my father mainly. Where did you learn the words to the song I played?”

He did not think it was possible for the youth to grow even paler, but he defied expectations and turned a shade so pale that Daichi feared he would be ill. A bad question, clearly. His masked face contorted into an expression of discomfort and frustration for a few moments before he replied in the quietest voice. “I do not remember. I am sorry to disappoint, I did not think anyone heard me.”

Daichi’s hands reached up to cup the pale one’s face, possibly because he was afraid that if he did not hold his conversation partner in some way that he would fade away. “I thought you sounded lovely,” he tried to encourage in absolute earnestness.

The man gasped for a moment and clutched Daichi’s hands that touched his cheeks, eyes widening in disbelief. “You are warm!” Daichi was caught off guard as the youth almost lunged towards him. “How are you… why are you warm?!” he demanded.

“Whoa there! Easy!” Daichi began falling back against the arm rest on the bench, using his hands to catch the youth flinging himself into his arms. It wasn’t like this was the first time but the circumstances of this flinging felt unusual. He held the man in his arms, furs and velvets bulking out his frame, making it difficult to distinguish what was his body and what was his clothing. Considering how earlier he spoke about not feeling the cold, Daichi felt confused about how he craved Daichi’s body heat. His curiosity lead him to pulling off his glove with his teeth before ever so carefully, touching the youth’s face once more.

It felt like he was touching ice. Panic set in instantly.

In a swift moment, he instinctively swept the youth up in his arms, and carried him inside. “Where is your room?” he almost barked as the youth settled into his arms, like a small animal clinging to its mother. He pointed the directions to his bedroom silently as Daichi’s strong, leather clad legs took on flights of stairs two at a time and stretches of corridors with great ease. His thighs visibly rippled as he sped towards the pair of doors which the youth unlocked.

Daichi stripped off the youth to his underwear with great efficiency as soon as he placed him on the bed. His bare hands touched skin that was so cold, Daichi wondered if he would get frost bite, but still he stripped off his own shirt (the trousers would be a hassle to put back on) and threw the pair of them under the thick downy comforters of the bed. His hands made their way to remove his own mask, finding it mildly uncomfortable lying down but the youth batted his hands gently away.

“No, you mustn’t! It’s bad luck if you do before midnight!” he explained, instinctively curling up close to Daichi’s beefy chest, nuzzling close for warmth. A satisfied sound soon escaped his lips as Daichi’s hands began to stroke lazy patterns on his back, counting the vertebrae of his back, tracing the scapula. The gentle friction would help conduct heat. There was still some time to go before midnight. His band would probably look for him…

Then again, he thought of Bokuto and his earnest attempts of alluring and perhaps seduction of the dark haired reindeer shepherd. Perhaps he would not be bothered after all.

“I thought you got used to the cold,” Daichi mumbled, the lazy atmosphere influencing him as he fought to not yawn. Despite being close like this, the youth remained icy to the touch.

“I did… I didn’t… I don’t know. Nothing is clear anymore. Nothing has been so clear for such a long time. I’m so cold.”

They were almost nose to nose as Daichi searched the youth’s masked face for a reason, for understanding. A comfortable silence stretched out before them as a cold hand brushed an arm, his chest, testing his warmth, testing his flesh. He knew in his gut that this youth was probably the reason they were asked to come here. Keishin probably wanted him to bring him back but still as Daichi held him in his arms he couldn’t help but question the realness of the youth in his arms. Silence enveloped the room. An ache grew in Daichi’s chest as he pulled the youth closer, a hand reaching up to tangle in his hair. It was so soft and fluffy, luxurious even. It made him somewhat nostalgic for a head of pale hair in his childhood. His eyes closed and he drifted off.

When Daichi opened his eyes he found himself being dragged back by a couple of trolls to the ballroom. He felt sluggish and disorientated as he tried to shake the sleep from his eyes. He didn’t realize how tired he was. They barked at him in unusual tones, slapping him on the back drunkenly as they handed him his shirt and overcoats. Was the time with the pale beauty just a dream?

By the reaction of Bokuto and Kuroo it clearly wasn’t as they crowed and hollered at him. Congratulating him on his ‘conquest’.

“Dude! We were worried! We asked our new friends to go get you. It’s coming up to midnight y’know?” Bokuto motioned to the trolls who dragged him from sleep back to the ballroom.

Bleary eyes overlooked Kuroo and Bokuto’s enthusiastic flailing as they told him and each other stories of what had happened while Daichi had been gone. Something about Bokuto getting a dance from Akaashi and Kuroo winning an arm wrestling match with a troll called Ryuu? Daichi didn’t pay particular attention, merely nodding and making affirmative noises where he needed to. What he did notice were the two troll women on the dais, hands clasped together. Their eyes seemed to pierce deeply into his soul, like they were trying to uncover all his secrets. It unnerved him until his attention fell on Yui and Asahi bundled together in a far corner, giggling together, tipsy and comfortable. He didn’t notice the one with dark hair rise and merge into the crowd.

Still, Daichi wanted to return to the pale beauty. Something tugged on his gut that he hadn’t uncovered something important. He wanted to see what lay beneath the mask. He wanted to give him the warmth he so craved. Instead he patted Kuroo’s shoulder and made his way over to Yui and Asahi.

“I’m going to do something stupid tonight,” he said quietly to the pair of them. It instantly brushed away any sense of easy relaxation from Asahi’s face as he let out a burbling groan.

“Awwwww nuh Daishi… Nut again” Asahi groaned as Yui burst into laughter.

“Asahiiiiiii yer drunk!” Yui giggled poking his cheek. “Go fer it Daichi!” She leaned forward with a wink. “Yer gunna get into pretty boy’s pants eh?”

Daichi snorted and shook his head. “No Yui. Not like that. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” He patted her shoulder and leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. Then he searched for Ennoshita. He found him in the arms of a troll.

“What do you want?” Ennoshita grumbled, cheeks puffing in irritation at having been interrupted during a flirtatious conversation he was having with a particularly regal, yet scruffy looking troll.

“We need to talk,” he began, eyes roaming down to the troll’s hand rubbing suggestively on his hip. “Just a moment if that is alright?”

“Fine… but make it quick” Ennoshita peeled himself, almost catlike away from the troll’s arms. “I’ll be right back Ryuu,” he murmured after a quick kiss before following Daichi.

The softskin woke up alone and shivering. He did not know how long it had been since the musician left him here. Sitting up, he could see that all of the man’s clothes had left with him too. A small sigh of relief escaped his lips as he touched the mask still upon his face. He could not afford any bad luck. Even if the stories were untrue, he did not want to welcome any possibility or ill fate into his life. He pulled the comforters around him for a moment, still barely warm from his companion before searching for his clothes. They were in a pile next to his bed on the floor. The softskin did his best to reach only his hand out down to grab at his fur coat, slipping it into bed with him to put it on before going to search for a nightshirt to cover the rest of his body. The idea of getting dressed completely once again did not appeal to him.

When the nightshirt had been donned, he discarded the fur coat and made his way out to the balcony. Just how much time had passed since he fell asleep? He did not know. Who was the man who carried him to bed? Again, he did not know. It frustrated him endlessly how much he did not know. Forever doomed to be a stranger in this icy land that was supposed to be his home.

He toed on a pair of furry slippers and padded out to his balcony. The town was pitch black allowing the full moon and the stars to come out in their full glory. They glittered above in swirls and patterns that boggled the mind and took his breath away. He wished many a time on these stars, offering silent prayers of desperation and despair. They were never granted. Even the gods must have abandoned him now.

Home. What was that? It was a feeling that eluded him for so long until that musician played that lullaby. That song felt like a glimpse of home, the first he felt since Saeko had disappeared. She had tried so hard when he came here to make him feel at home and now they just fed him Slank to keep him passive and warm.

He remembers the ice and snow. He remembers being alone. He remembers feeling the icy tendrils of air creep in through his every pore. He remembers the howl of the wind, screaming high pitched in his ears, deafeningly loud and terrifying. He remembers the wolves in the night, with yellow eyes and yellow teeth, snapping and drooling. They were going to kill him, they were going to tear him to pieces slowly and painfully. If it weren’t the wolves it would be the storm. Until a white stag appeared. It rose up and defended him from the beasts. Then she came along on a giant elk causing the stag to disappear. Majestic and proud, dispersing the wolves with magic and picking him up to be warmer once again. But the coldness of that night never truly left. The north wind had taken him and kissed him sweetly, leaving his lips forever frost bitten and a shard of ice lodged in his heart. Or at least it felt like it would be forever, until he heard that song, a breadcrumb trail, a path to find through the storm. He thought that maybe if he could find Saeko, maybe he could find out where he came from, if the white stag was real, who he was and why she wanted to keep him safe here.

His reverie was interrupted by a soft noise coming from below. He flinched backwards as a dark shape came out from the shadows, scaling the walls. How the shape did this was beyond the softskin’s knowledge. There were spikes of ice all along the walls and on any perches that the person tried to scale, yet they did with such skill, a dark furred cape billowing out elegantly behind them as they did. And then as they reached the top, they came into view. It was the man from before.

Daichi almost lost his breath when he saw the pale beauty standing there on the balcony, now he was at the same level as him, needing only to avoid the spikes in his path to reach safety, he could enjoy the way the light of the moon and stars glittered against his almost translucent skin. How he could only wear a nightshirt and a coat in this chill was beyond Daichi but still he wore the mask.

As he climbed over the edge of the balcony, the youth reached out a slender hand to him, face still masked like his own, as midnight chimed from the town’s clock tower in the square and roared from below in the ballroom. No one would bother them now. In silence the soft skin reached out a hand to caress Daichi’s cheek, to feel the warmth, tenderly, softly.

Silence fell around them like a blanket, the sounds of celebration dying down as the softskin gently reached up to remove Daichi’s mask. Midnight had indeed passed, it was safe to do so now. What he saw was a pair of kind eyes, a strong face now together, a handsome face. The softskin reached back to undo the lacing of his own mask, no longer fearing any possible curses.

Daichi’s breath caught in his throat. How could this be? Before him stood a young man with a face just like the one of his dear friend he had loved and lost. His hair was longer, his face was sharper and more defined but it was still Suga. The beauty mark was still there underneath his eye.

Silence was broken by Daichi’s voice shaken as he tried to get his heart under control, as he tried to figure out what had happened, “Are you flesh or are you spirit?”

The Suga’s golden eyes looked almost amber in the dim light of the moon. He blinked and gazed directly into Daichi’s eyes “I am sorrow.”

Sorrow. Daichi felt sorrow. His stomach dropped and his heart lunged up to his throat. For a moment he feared that it would pop out of his mouth and fly away into the freezing winds. There was no recognition, no recollection in Suga’s eyes. He looked at him like a stranger would. Daichi stepped closer and rested his forehead on Suga’s shoulder. Silently praying that he would remember him, but all he got was a gentle hand threading through his hair.

“Why are you sad?” Suga’s gently concerned voice pierced through Daichi’s silent prayers. “I can feel your tears on my shoulder.”

Daichi looked up, hoping to jog something in Suga’s memory. Hoping that he would at least confirm what Daichi is sure of. “I do not know your name,” he said quietly.

“I have none. I am nameless. I am a child of the north wind,” Suga’s voice was quiet and soothing, trying to ease the tears in Daichi’s eyes that would not stop pouring until his hands brushed them away. A gentle hand on his cheek, a gentle smile on his lips voice tinged with self-deprication. “Please do not cry for me.”

“I am taking you away from here.” There was no room for argument. He thought of Keishin’s letters. He must have known! He must have known that Suga was here to send him here. A thief to steal away the stolen prince. If he knew this then why didn’t he tell him that it was Suga? What was there to gain from keeping the truth from him? Suga stepped back releasing Daichi from his hold and held onto the balcony instead.

“I can’t. I shouldn’t. She would not like that,” he replied, fingers digging into the snow.

“You are frozen here. You will die if you stay here. Please let me take you to warmer places,” Daichi pleaded, a hand on his shoulder. “You are so cold, I fear that if I leave you that you will perish.”

“I have already, there is no use. She wished for me to stay, to be safe,” quiet and mournful were Suga’s words

Daichi let out a groan and turned Suga around, his hands gripping his shoulders desperately trying to get his point across.

“Who is the one who wishes you to stay here? I will find her if I have to I will steal you away if I must. You should know of all people that I am a thief and a cad!” Daichi did not mean to blurt out that last bit but if it helped jog his memory…

“I do not know you! You would be lucky to find the Queen. She disappeared, even idiots like you should know that” Suga’s tone turned defensive and prickly as he struggled out of Daichi’s grip.

Improvisation. He needed to improvise. What would get Suga away from here?

“Then come find her with me! Tomorrow, we’ll leave with my band and we’ll go find your Queen.”

That made Suga stop and consider, stopped him from shutting Daichi out on the cold balcony alone. A pause. A moment. And then he nodded.

“Alright,” his voice was quiet, barely audible, like he was telling himself more than Daichi before his confidence was found, along with a touch of haughtiness. “Very well.  Will go with you tomorrow. Now come inside. You are not used to the cold.” Suga’s hand reached out for Daichi, gently beckoning him.

Daichi shook his head and grinned. “As much as I would like to stay with you tonight, I must prepare for tomorrow.” He kneeled and kissed Suga’s icy hand. “Goodnight, sleep well.”

With a bow and a flourish of his cape, Suga watched Daichi leave, melting into the inky blackness of the dark. It felt like his heart had kickstarted back up after hundreds of years of remaining still, a small flush of warmth beginning to kindle within him.

A knock at the door smothered any flame that dared try to find spark. Opening it he found Yachi, smiling, with a cup of Slank in her hands held out towards him.

“I do not want it, I will be alright,” he told the troll woman in the language of trolls. He would be warm tonight. The promise of finding the queen tomorrow would warm him. The promise of adventure tickling at the back of his mind.

“But you must, it will keep you warm,” she insisted, placing it into his hands not leaving him until he took a few hearty gulps, finishing off the tankard and wiping his mouth the back of his hand. It took only moments until his body felt the effects, the tankard clattering to the floor from hands . Except this wasn’t normal. He shouldn’t be falling into Yachi’s arms. “Whaaaa dish yuu do t’me?” he begged. He shouldn’t be slurring. This was betrayal.

“I’m so sorry. I can’t have you leave. I promised the queen. I heard it through the ice…” She tried to excuse her actions as she picked him up and carried him to bed. “You won’t remember. It will be alright. You will be safe here. Please forgive me.” Her whispers remained unheard by anyone as Suga’s consciousness slipped into the darkness, memories of the night beginning to flee and unravel away from his mind, no matter how he tried to grasp and tie the threads together. When he woke, he would not remember the dark stranger who would steal him away, he would not remember the warmth. Sorrow seeped into his bones, so sorrow he would remain. No flesh, no spirit, only sorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the wait on this chapter! Thank you for your patience!
> 
> The reunion scene! I know that this was very anticipated! I hope I did your expectations justice.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading. Thank you for your comments and kudos. I really appreciate your support from the bottom of my heart. 
> 
> I'm Rinoa11 on Twitter and Tumblr if you wish to chat.


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